Genesis 24

¹Now Abraham was old and of many days. And the Lord had blessed him in all things.

²And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was in charge of all that he had: “Place your hand under my thigh,

³so that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.

⁴But that you will proceed to my land and kindred, and from there take a wife for my son Isaac.”

⁵The servant responded, “If the woman is not willing to come with me into this land, must I lead your son back to the place from which you departed?”

⁶And Abraham said: “Beware that you never lead my son back to that place.

⁷The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ himself will send his Angel before you, and you will take from there a wife for my son.

⁸But if the woman is not willing to follow you, you will not be held by the oath. Only do not lead my son back to that place.”

⁹Therefore, the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his lord, and he swore to him on his word.

¹⁰And he took ten camels from his lord’s herd, and he went forth, carrying with him things from all of his goods. And he set out, and continued on, to the city of Nahor, in Mesopotamia.

¹¹And when he had made the camels lie down outside of the town, near a well of water, in the evening, at the time when women are accustomed to go out to draw water, he said:

¹²“O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, meet with me today, I beg you, and show mercy to my lord Abraham.

¹³Behold, I stand near the fountain of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will go forth to draw water.

¹⁴Therefore, the girl to whom I will say, ‘Tip your pitcher, so that I may drink,’ and she will respond, ‘Drink. In fact, I will give your camels a drink also,’ the same one is she whom you have prepared for your servant Isaac. And by this, I will understand that you have shown mercy to my lord.”

¹⁵But he had not yet completed these words within himself, when, behold, Rebekah went out, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder.

¹⁶She was an exceedingly elegant girl, and a most beautiful virgin, and unknown by man. And she descended to the spring, and she filled her pitcher, and then was returning.

¹⁷And the servant ran to meet her, and he said, “Provide me with a little water to drink from your pitcher.”

¹⁸And she responded, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly brought down the pitcher on her arm, and she gave him a drink.

¹⁹And after he drank, she added, “In fact, I will draw water for your camels also, until they all drink.”

²⁰And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water; and having drawn, she gave it to all the camels.

²¹But he was contemplating her silently, wanting to know whether the Lord had caused his journey to prosper or not

²²Then, after the camels drank, the man took out gold earrings, weighing two shekels, and the same number of bracelets, ten shekels in weight.

²³And he said to her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there any place in your father’s house to lodge?”

²⁴She responded, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, to whom she gave birth for Nahor.”

²⁵And she continued, saying, “There is very much straw and hay with us, and a spacious place to stay.”

²⁶The man bowed himself down, and he adored the Lord,

²⁷saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has not taken away his mercy and truth from my lord, and who has led me on a direct journey to the house of the brother of my lord.”

²⁸And so the girl ran, and she reported all that she had heard in the house of her mother.

²⁹Now Rebekah had a brother, named Laban, who went out quickly to the man, where the spring was.

³⁰And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister’s hands, and he had heard all the words being repeated, “This is what the man spoke to me,” he came to the man who stood by the camels and near the spring of water,

³¹and he said to him: “Enter, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

³²And he brought him into his guest quarters. And he unharnessed the camels, and he distributed straw and hay, and water to wash his feet and that of the men who arrived with him.

³³And bread was set out in his sight. But he said, “I will not eat, until I have spoken my words.” He answered him, “Speak.”

³⁴Then he said: “I am the servant of Abraham.

³⁵And the Lord has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great. And he has given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men servants and women servants, camels and donkeys.

³⁶And Sarah, the wife of my lord, has given birth to a son for my lord in her old age, and he has given him all that he had.

³⁷And my lord made me swear, saying: ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell.

³⁸But you shall travel to my father’s house, and you shall take a wife of my own kindred for my son.’

³⁹But truly, I answered my lord, ‘What if the woman is not willing to come with me?’

⁴⁰‘The Lord,’ he said, ‘in whose sight I walk, will send his Angel with you, and he will direct your way. And you shall take a wife for my son from my own kindred and from my father’s house.

⁴¹But you will be innocent of my curse, if, when you will arrive at my close relatives, they will not grant this to you.’

⁴²And so, today I arrived at the well of water, and I said: ‘O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, if you have directed my way, in which I now walk,

⁴³behold, I stand next to the well of water, and the virgin, who will go forth to draw water, will hear from me, “Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.”

⁴⁴And she will say to me, “You drink, and I will also draw for your camels.” Let the same be the woman, whom the Lord has prepared for the son of my lord.’

⁴⁵And while I thought over these things silently within myself, Rebekah appeared, arriving with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder. And she descended to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Give me a little to drink.’

⁴⁶And she quickly let down the pitcher from her arm, and said to me, ‘You drink, and to your camels I will also distribute drinking water.’ I drank, and she watered the camels.

⁴⁷And I questioned her, saying, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she responded, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And so, I hung the earrings on her, to adorn her face, and I put the bracelets on her hands.

⁴⁸And falling prostrate, I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has led me along the straight path so as to take the daughter of my lord’s brother to his son.

⁴⁹For this reason, if you would act according to mercy and truth with my lord, tell me so. But if it pleases you otherwise, say that to me also, so that I may go either to the right, or to the left.”

⁵⁰And Laban and Bethuel responded: “A word has proceeded from the Lord. We are not able to speak anything else to you, beyond what pleases him.

⁵¹Lo, Rebekah is in your sight. Take her and continue on, and let her be the wife of the son of your lord, just as the Lord has spoken.”

⁵²When Abraham’s servant had heard this, falling down to the ground, he adored the Lord.

⁵³And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, as well as garments, he gave them to Rebekah as a tribute. Likewise, he offered gifts to her brothers and her mother.

⁵⁴And a banquet began, and they feasted and drank together, and they lodged there. And rising up in the morning, the servant said, “Release me, so that I may go to my lord.”

⁵⁵And her brothers and mother responded, “Let the girl remain for at least ten days with us, and after that, she will continue on.”

⁵⁶“Do not be willing,” he said, “to delay me, for the Lord has directed my way. Release me, so that I may journey to my lord.”

⁵⁷And they said, “Let us call the girl, and ask her will.”

⁵⁸And when, having been called, she arrived, they wanted to know, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”

⁵⁹Therefore, they released her and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his companions,

⁶⁰wishing prosperity for their sister, by saying: “You are our sister. May you increase to thousands of thousands. And may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”

⁶¹And so, Rebekah and her maids, riding upon camels, followed the man, who quickly returned to his lord.

⁶²Then, at the same time, Isaac was walking along the way that leads to the well, whose name is: ‘of the One who lives and who sees.’ For he dwelt in the southern land.

⁶³And he had gone out to meditate in the field, as daylight was now declining. And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels advancing from afar.

⁶⁴Likewise, Rebekah, having seen Isaac, descended from the camel.

⁶⁵And she said to the servant, “Who is that man who advances to meet us through the field?” And he said to her, “That is my lord.” And so, quickly taking up her cloak, she covered herself.

⁶⁶Then the servant explained to Isaac all that he had done.

⁶⁷And he led her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he accepted her as wife. And he loved her so very much, that it tempered the sorrow which befell him at his mother’s death.

Genesis 24

¹Now Abraham was old, and advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed him in all things.

²And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was ruler over all he had: Put thy hand under my thigh,

³That I may make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that thou take not a wife for my son, of the daughters of the Chanaanites, among whom I dwell:

⁴But that thou go to my own country and kindred, and take a wife from thence for my son Isaac.

⁵The servant answered: If the woman will not come with me into this land, must I bring thy son back again to the place from whence thou camest out?

⁶And Abraham said: Beware thou never bring my son back again thither.

⁷The Lord God of heaven, who took me out of my father's house, and out of my native country, who spoke to me, and swore to me, saying: To thy seed will I give this land: he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take from thence a wife for my son.

⁸But if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be bound by the oath: only bring not my son back thither again.

⁹The servant, therefore, put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his lord, and swore to him upon his word.

¹⁰And he took ten camels of his master's herd, and departed, carrying something of all his goods with him, and he set forward and went on to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nachor.

¹¹And when he had made the camels lie down without the town, near a well of water, in the evening, at the time when women are wont to come out to draw water, he said:

¹²O Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, meet me today, I beseech thee, and shew kindness to my master, Abraham.

¹³Behold, I stand nigh the spring of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will come out to draw water:

¹⁴Now, therefore, the maid to whom I shall say: Let down thy pitcher that I may drink: and she shall answer, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let it be the same whom thou hast provided for thy servant Isaac: and by this, I shall understand that thou hast shewn kindness to my master.

¹⁵He had not yet ended these words within himself, and behold Rebecca came out, the daughter of Bathuel, son of Melcha, wife to Nachor the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder:

¹⁶An exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin, and not known to man: and she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and was coming back.

¹⁷And the servant ran to meet her, and said: Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher.

¹⁸And she answered: Drink, my lord. And quickly she let down the pitcher upon her arm, and gave him drink.

¹⁹And when he had drunk, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, till they all drink.

²⁰And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water; and having drawn, she gave to all the camels.

²¹But he musing, beheld her with silence, desirous to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

²²And after that the camels had drunk, the man took out golden earrings, weighing two sicles; and as many bracelets, of ten sicles weight.

²³And he said to her: Whose daughter art thou? tell me: is there any place in thy father's house to lodge?

²⁴And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor.

²⁵And she said, moreover, to him: We have good store of both straw and hay, and a large place to lodge in.

²⁶The man bowed himself down, and adored the Lord,

²⁷Saying: Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not taken away his mercy and truth from my master, and hath brought me the straight way into the house of my master's brother.

²⁸Then the maid ran, and told in her mother's house all that she had heard.

²⁹And Rebecca had a brother, named Laban, who went out in haste to the man, to the well.

³⁰And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister's hands, and had heard all that she related, saying, Thus and thus the man spoke to me: he came to the man who stood by the camels, and near to the spring of water,

³¹And said to him: Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; why standest thou without? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.

³²And he brought him into his lodging; and he unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and hay, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men that were come with him.

³³And bread was set before him. But he said: I will not eat, till I tell my message. He answered him: Speak.

³⁴And he said: I am the servant of Abraham:

³⁵And the Lord hath blessed my master wonderfully, and he is become great: and he hath given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men servants and women servants, camels and asses.

³⁶And Sara, my master's wife, hath borne my master a son in her old age, and he hath given him all that he had.

³⁷And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the Chanaanites, in whose land I dwell:

³⁸But thou shalt go to my father's house, and shalt take a wife of my own kindred for my son:

³⁹But I answered my master: What if the woman will not come with me?

⁴⁰The Lord, said he, in whose sight I walk, will send his angel with thee, and will direct thy way: and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my own kindred, and of my father's house.

⁴¹But thou shalt be clear from my curse, when thou shalt come to my kindred, if they will not give thee one.

⁴²And I came today to the well of water, and said: O Lord God of my master, Abraham, if thou hast prospered my way, wherein I now walk,

⁴³Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the virgin, that shall come out to draw water, who shall hear me say: Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher:

⁴⁴And shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman, whom the Lord hath prepared for my master's son.

⁴⁵And whilst I pondered these things secretly with myself, Rebecca appeared, coming with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder: and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her: Give me a little to drink.

⁴⁶And she speedily let down the pitcher from her shoulder, and said to me: Both drink thou, and to thy camels I will give drink. I drank, and she watered the camels.

⁴⁷And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him. So I put earrings on her to adorn her face, and I put bracelets on her hands.

⁴⁸And falling down, I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord God of my master, Abraham, who hath brought me the straight way to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.

⁴⁹Wherefore, if you do according to mercy and truth with my master, tell me: but if it please you otherwise, tell me that also, that I may go to the right hand, or to the left.

⁵⁰And Laban and Bathuel answered: The word hath proceeded from the Lord: we cannot speak any other thing to thee but his pleasure.

⁵¹Behold, Rebecca is before thee, take her and go thy way, and let her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath spoken.

⁵²Which when Abraham's servant heard, falling down to the ground, he adored the Lord.

⁵³And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, and garments, he gave them to Rebecca, for a present. He offered gifts also to her brothers, and to her mother.

⁵⁴And a banquet was made, and they ate and drank together, and lodged there. And in the morning, the servant arose, and said: Let me depart, that I may go to my master.

⁵⁵And her brother and mother answered: Let the maid stay, at least, ten days with us, and afterwards she shall depart.

⁵⁶Stay me not, said he, because the Lord hath prospered my way: send me away, that I may go to my master.

⁵⁷And they said: Let us call the maid, and ask her will.

⁵⁸And they called her, and when she was come, they asked: Wilt thou go with this man? She said: I will go.

⁵⁹So they sent her away, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his company.

⁶⁰Wishing prosperity to their sister, and saying: Thou art our sister, mayst thou increase to thousands of thousands; and may thy seed possess the gates of their enemies.

⁶¹So Rebecca and her maids, being set upon camels, followed the man: who with speed returned to his master.

⁶²At the same time, Isaac was walking along the way to the well which is called Of the living and the seeing: for he dwelt in the south country:

⁶³And he was gone forth to meditate in the field, the day being now well spent: and when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming afar off.

⁶⁴Rebecca also, when she saw Isaac, lighted off the camel,

⁶⁵And said to the servant: Who is that man who cometh towards us along the field? And he said to her: That man is my master. But she quickly took her cloak, and covered herself.

⁶⁶And the servant told Isaac all that he had done.

⁶⁷Who brought her into the tent of Sara his mother, and took her to wife: and he loved her so much, that it moderated the sorrow which was occasioned by his mother's death.